The Barnett Group

What The Barnett Group does

The Barnett Group is a Washington, D.C.-based boutique trade consultancy that resolves governmental and regulatory trade barriers for multinational corporations operating across the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. The firm applies a knowledge-based, consultative process — policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, issue paper drafting, and ongoing engagement with senior officials in Washington and across 19 MENA countries — to address excise/VAT disputes, customs delays, product bans, IP issues, and discriminatory regulations. Its service revenue is generated through project-based engagements and retainers with enterprise clients, including Fortune 50 subsidiaries and $60B consumer products companies; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm maintains a small core team led by founder Judith Barnett (lawyer, former senior U.S. government official, trade consultant, law professor) supplemented by a vetted network of in-country consultants from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, and supports business development through LinkedIn, op-eds in outlets such as Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, and the Financial Times, and a newsletter cadence.

Name

The Barnett Group

Legal name

The Barnett Group

Website

https://thebarnettgroup.biz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Barnett Group is a Washington, D.C.-based boutique consultancy that resolves trade barriers and regulatory obstacles in the MENA region for multinational corporations, leveraging senior government relationships across 19 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade and Government Relations Consulting

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Product Regulatory Compliance for Cross-Border Trade (e.g., FDA, USDA, CPSC, CE/REACH/RoHS) (TLACAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

HTS/Tariff Classification & Binding Rulings Advisory (TLACAGAA)

Keywords

• Trade barrier resolution
• Government relations advisory
• International trade consulting
• MENA regulatory services
• Trade policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Trade Consulting and Government Relations Services: Professional consulting services for resolving trade barriers and government regulatory issues for multinational corporations operating in the MENA region. Revenue appears to be generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements for ongoing government relations support, policy analysis, and strategic advisory services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Barnett Group resolves trade and governmental regulatory barriers for multinational corporations operating in the Middle East-North Africa region. Services include policy analysis, strategic planning, stakeholder mapping, issue paper preparation, direct advocacy before senior officials in Washington D.C. and across MENA, and ongoing 24/7 monitoring for early-warning on regulatory and legislative changes. The firm addresses discriminatory taxes, customs delays, product bans, IP protection, complex filing requirements, and other governmental obstacles.

Product overview

The Barnett Group is a professional consulting services firm, not a software or technology product company. It provides government relations and trade barrier resolution services focused on the MENA (Middle East-North Africa) region. Services include policy analysis, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, issue paper preparation, and ongoing coordination with government officials in Washington D.C. and across the MENA region. The firm assists clients with customs issues, tax regulations, product registration, intellectual property protection, and other trade-related regulatory barriers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Barrier Resolution Consulting A consulting engagement for multinational corporations operating in MENA that analyzes discriminatory taxes, customs delays, product bans, regulatory irregularities, and complex filing requirements; develops a strategy and action plan; and drives resolution through direct advocacy. Clients include multi-billion-dollar food companies, a $60 billion consumer products company, and subsidiaries of Fortune 50 firms.
• Government Relations Advocacy and Representation Direct representation of enterprise clients before senior officials in Washington D.C. and across the MENA region, including scheduled meetings, conferences, issue paper distribution, and ongoing coordination until issues are resolved. The firm leverages networks spanning from Morocco to Saudi Arabia to advocate on behalf of clients.
• MENA Monitoring and Early Warning Service Daily/weekly 24/7 monitoring of economic, political, and commercial activities across the 19 MENA countries to provide enterprise clients with early warning of regulatory and legislative changes that could affect their business.
• Government Relations Training Program Training of client senior and mid-level employees in the objectives, methods, and successes of government relations, preparing teams to better recognize and resolve regulatory barriers rather than maintain the status quo.
• Strategic Growth and Market Entry Advisory Advisory engagements that identify strategic opportunities for growth and new markets in MENA, develop dynamic strategies, action plans, and timetables, and establish viable networks throughout foreign and U.S. governments for clients to work with directly. Includes negotiation support, such as joint venture agreement facilitation between a U.S. telecommunications company and a MENA high-tech fund, and securing investment incentives such as those obtained from the Government of Egypt for a new manufacturing plant.
• Social and Community Program Development Working with companies and governments, both U.S. and MENA, to assess, develop, fund, endorse, and sustain best-practice social and community programs for long-term community participation and benefit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced tariffs from 25-30% to 0-10% for a multi-billion food company's Middle East operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dentons: Largest global law firm with extensive Middle East offices and cross-border trade practice. Comparable in servicing multinationals on regulatory and trade issues across MENA, though at a fundamentally different scale and breadth.
• Covington & Burling: Major Washington, D.C.-based law firm with substantial international trade, regulatory, and public affairs practices serving multinationals. Comparable in advising on cross-border regulatory barriers, though embedded within a broad legal platform.
• Hogan Lovells: Global law firm with a meaningful Middle East and international trade regulatory practice. Comparable in cross-border trade compliance and government advisory work for multinationals, but operating within a much larger full-service legal platform.
• Squire Patton Boggs: Global law and public policy firm with a strong Middle East trade and government relations practice. Comparable in helping multinationals resolve regulatory and trade issues in MENA, with additional scale and breadth beyond Barnett's boutique footprint.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Global law firm with one of the deepest Middle East government relations and international trade practices. Comparable cross-border regulatory and trade advisory for multinationals, but operating as part of a much broader legal services platform rather than as a specialist boutique.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with international trade and regulatory practices spanning MENA and other emerging markets. Comparable in advising multinationals on cross-border regulatory barriers, though operating at a much larger scale and broader service range.

Direct peers

• The Cohen Group: Strategic advisory firm founded by a former U.S. Secretary of Defense that helps multinationals navigate complex international markets, including the Middle East. Closely comparable founder-led, access-driven model focused on cross-border government and corporate advisory.
• The Levick Group: Strategic communications and government relations firm advising multinationals on regulatory, reputational, and policy matters, including in international markets. Comparable boutique model focused on high-stakes corporate-government engagement.
• Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman: Law firm with a recognized international trade and government relations practice advising multinationals on regulatory matters including in MENA markets. Closely comparable in combining U.S. policy access with cross-border trade advisory.
• Cassidy & Associates: Washington, D.C.-based government relations and strategic advisory firm that helps clients — including multinationals — navigate complex U.S. and international policy environments. Comparable access-driven, relationship-based model anchored in policy expertise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-barnett-group-international-law-and-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Barnett Group